Dirt collector



June 21, 1938. c. C. FARMhR DIRT COLLECTOR Filed April 20; 1957 a m u 4 0 Q/ GO 1 m w INVENTOR CLYDE E. FARMER fim fw ATTORNEY Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE DIRT COLLECTOR Application April 20, 1937, Serial No. 137,955

2 Claims.

This invention relates to dirt collectors and more particularly to the centrifugal type employed to remove dirt, water and other foreign matter from the fluid pressure supplied to fluid pressure brake systems.

The usual dirt collector employed in connection with fluid pressure brake systems has a sepa rating chamber through which fluid is adapted to pass from an inlet to an outlet and in which, by centrifugal action, foreign matter is adapted to be separated from the fluid stream before its passage to the outlet. A collecting chamber is provided into which this separated foreign matter is adapted to drop by gravity, and in this chamber there is a movable check valve which is adapted to close communication therefrom to the separating chamber upon a reduction in the fluid pressure in the separating chamber, in order to prevent foreign matter in the collecting chamber from being thrown or blown back into the separating chamber where it might possibly find its way into the fluid stream passing to the outlet and be thus carried out into the brake system.

It is intended that the foreign matter be periodically removed from the collecting chamber but if, due to failure to keep this chamber properly evacuated or for any other reason, this chamber becomes filled with foreign matter including water and the water freezes, the consequent expansion of. the foreign matter is liable to force the check valve out of the collecting chamber thru the opening leading to the separating chamber and into the separating chamber. If the check valve is thus forced into the separating 35 chamber or for any other reason enters said chamber it is liable to be picked up by the stream of fluid passing through the collector and be carried into the outlet and thereby restrict or prevent the flow of fluid through the outlet to the brake system and thus interfere with or possibly prevent the control of brakes on a Vehicle or train.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved dirt collector of the above type having means for preventing the check valve closing the fluid outlet in case the check valve is forced into or otherwise obtains entry into the separating chamber, as above described.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a centrifugal dirt collector embodying one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to a portion of Fig. 1 and embodying a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 in Fig. 3.

The dirt collector shown in the drawing is of the centrifugal type employed in connection with fluid pressure brake systems and comprises a casing section I having a funnel shaped separating chamber 2, and a casing section 3 secured to the casing section I by bolts 4 and having a dirt collecting chamber 5 open at its upper end to the smaller and lower end of the funnel shaped chamber 2. A fluid pressure inlet pipe 6 is connected to the separating chamber 2 in the manner shown in the drawing, and an outlet pipe 1 is connected to said chamber by a conduit 8 which extends downwardly into said chamber at the central portion of the casing section I.

Fluid under pressure entering the dirt collector through the inlet pipe 6 passes to the chamber 2 and is directed into a spiral course by the inner wall of said chamber, whereby particles of dirt, dust, water, or any other foreign material in the stream of fluid are thrown outwardly toward the wall of said chamber, while the purified air passes out through the conduit 8 to the outlet pipe 1, the foreign matter descending by gravity to the lower portion of chamber 2 and finally falling into the collecting chamber 5 in the casing section 3.

The casing section 3 carries a stem 9 which projects up through the opening connecting chambers 5 and 2, and loosely mounted on the end of said stem is a check valve I0 which, upon a reduction in the pressure of fluid in chamber 2 below that in chamber 5, is adapted to rise on the stem 9 and engage the end of the casing l around the lower end of the separating chamber 2 and thereby close communication from chamber 5 to the separating chamber 2, so as to prevent foreign matter, which may be collected in chamber 5, from being drawn back into the separating chamber 2 and thereby becoming mixed with the fluid passing to the outlet 1.

If, in the operation of the device, the chamber 5 becomes filled with foreign matter, including water, and the water freezes, it will be evident that the consequent expansion of foreign matter may force the check valve l0 through the opening leading tothe separating chamber 2 and into said separating chamber. If the check valve I0 is thus forced into chamber 2 or for any other reason enters said chamber, it will be evident that it is liable to be picked up in the stream of fluid flowing to the outlet pipe 1 and be pulled into engagement with the end of the conduit 8 or even possibly into the open end of said conduit and thereby restrict or entirely close off the flow of fluid to the outlet pipe 1. This is very undesirable in that it may result in a failure of the brakes on a vehicle or the like.

In order to prevent the valve IE! closing off the flow of fluid to outlet pipe I under conditions such as just described, a steel pin H is provided in the conduit 8 near the open end thereof. This pin is preferably cast in place in the process of molding the casing section I and in operation is adapted to be engaged by the valve IE3 to prevent said valve from entering the open end of the conduit 8 and thereby closing communication to the outlet pipe 1.

The pin II is also adapted toserve another useful purpose in that if large pieces of pipe scale or other foreign matter should enter the chamber 2 thru inlet 6 and tend to pass on to the outlet 1, such matter will impinge against the pin H and thereby tend to become broken up into small pieces, a portion or all of which may drop back into the chamber 2 and from thence into chamber 5. If, however, the small broken pieces of foreign matter do pass on to the outlet 1, they are in better condition to be separated from the fluid stream by another dirt collector where several are employed in a brake system.

As above described, the pin II is cast in place in the casing section I in the process of molding and is preferably made of steel in order to have suflicient strength to resist breaking by impact of the valve ID. This is the preferred construction, but, if desired, a cast rib l2 formed integral with the conduit 8 in the process of molding the casing section I, as shown in Figs, 3 and 4 of the drawing, may be employed in place of the steel pin I l to prevent the check valve l entering the conduit 8. As shown in the drawing, this cast rib I2 is preferably of greater depth than width, in order to provide sufficient strength to prevent breakage due to impact of valve it).

While two illustrative embodimentsof the invention have been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit its scope to these embodiments or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A dirt collector comprising a casing having a dirt separating chamber, a fluid inlet to said chamber, a fluid outlet from said chamber, a dirt collecting chamber normally open to said separating chamber, a valve for closing communication from said collecting chamber to said separating chamber upon a reduction in the fluid pressure in said separating chamber, and a rib formed integral with said casing and extending across said outlet and adapted to engage said valve for preventing said valve closing communication to said outlet if said valve is accidentally forced into said separating chamber.

2. In a dirt collector, a casing comprising a section having a dirt separating chamber, a section having a dirt collecting chamber and removably secured to the first section, the first section having a fluid inlet opening to said separating chamber, and a fluid outlet through which fluid is adapted to flow from said separating chamber, a pin carried by the second casing section, a check valve in said dirt collecting chamber slidably mounted on the end of said pin and operative to close communication from said collecting chamber to said separating chamber upon a reduction in the pressure of fluid in said separating chamber, and a member extending diametrically across the opening to said outlet conduit and associated with said casing and adapted to prevent said valve closing communication from said separating chamber to said outlet conduit in case said valve is accidentally displaced into said separating chamber.

CLYDE c. FARMER. 

